Breast Augmentation: Q&A

Ask a Question

Is Exercising Changing my Implants?

I received my BA 12/16/10. Under the muscle Silicone Gel Med Profile 400cc thru areola. I was a 34A cup pre-op, nursed 2 babies so I had 0 breast tissue basically. I am very happy with my results however I am heavily into fitness & was 177lbs/5'6 one yr ago! Pre-op @ 131lbs. I got the OK from my DR to workout again and recently incorporated some strength training with weights and started push ups. I noticed some rippling starting to occur. Should I back off on the strength training b/c of this?

Tags:

periareolar rippling 5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 7 in 400-449cc silicone implant 130-149 lbs exercise moderate profile

Comment on this

15 Doctor Answers | Asked by wonderingmomof2 in PA

Doctor Answers (15)
Community Comments (0)

Fat grafting to resolve rippling effect of breast augmentation

Rippling after breast augmentation is due to a decreased amount of your own breast tissue covering the implant. Silicone implants under the muscle decreases the chance of rippling in very thin women with little breast tissue and fat. If rippling still occurs, fat grafting helps thicken the breast tissue over the implant and decrease the amount of rippling.

Implants

All implants ripple-saline or silicone-I agree with previos answer that the tendenvy to see rippling is increased by less coverage of breast tissue. If your implants are place above the muscle and you lose weight, the amount of rippling you see may greater than below the muscle but overall weight loss even as much as 5 lbs can contribute. Just keep up with your f/u appts with you doctor.

Wrippling of breast implants are caused by thin skin

What causes wripplinging of breast implants? basically, all implants, including silicone implants, ripple. what makes the rippling not to show is thickness of the overlying skin. The thicker the skin and the more fat padding over the implant the less you can see the wripples. so in your circumstance weight loss caused a reduction in your subcutaneous fat, which made your implants show more.

Breast Implant Rippling after Exercise?

Thank you for the question. A couple of issues come to mind given your description of your presurgery situation and your current problem. As you exercise and drop body fat there is less coverage of the breast implants exposing you to seeing or feeling the breast implants more (rippling). Also, heavy exercise may gradually pushed the implants to the sides of the chest where there is less coverage of the implants; you may begin to feel the implants more on the sides of the breasts... more

Rippling after breast augentation

Rippling becomes more obvious when the breast tissue is thinner. If you have lost a lot of weight, you may see more rippling. I recommend that you followup with your plastic surgeon and let him or her advise you on whether any particular exercise regimen would affect the visibility of the rippling.

Does Exercise Change Implants?

Strength training that decreases your breast fat content will sometimes uncover rippling of the implants. Your physician is best equipeped to determine the cause of the rippling and discuss it with you. I would recommend a reconsultation.

Submuscular Breast Augmentation and Working Out

As mentioned previously, in the upper parts of your breast your implants are covered by the muscle, fat, and skin. Usually, it is the loss of the fat as part of weight loss that will make your implants more visible over time (less coverage). We can reduce your implant visibility and rippling by lipo-suctioning fat from other parts of your body and injecting it under the skin in the area of rippling/implant visibility (fat grafting). Strength training may affect... more

Implant rippling visibility

Increased visibility of implant rippling can be because of two causes: First is loss of overlying fat (and you did mention that you are working out and thus you'd loose some fat). Second would be loss of implant volume such as in a leak or rupture. If you are concerned you should see your plastic surgeon again. Sincerely, Martin Jugenburg, MD

Rippling of breast implants following exercise

You have had the breast augmentation operation that will result in the least amount of visible rippling: silicone gel implants placed under the pectoralis muscles. However, all implants ripple to some extent. If you are developing increased rippling it is likely because you are losing body fat (including some breast fat) and there is less of YOU to conceal your implants. I generally advise my patients to try to forget they ever had the operation, and to do the activities they want... more

Exercising with breast implants

Exercise will not harm or change your breast implants, thought submuscular implants will move as the muscle is flexed firmly over the surface. You can do push-ups and strengthen the chest or any other exercise you wish without any harm. The ripple you now see is related to the thin cover over the implant and you don't have to alter your routine. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Breast implants and exercise

You mentioned that your sillicone breast implants are placed under your muscle. This provides you with the most amount of tissue coverage for the implants. In some very active patients, as the pectoralis muscles hypertrophy, their animation over the implant may result in changes of the appearance of the implants. This phenomenon is reffered to as "window shading". It is difficult to tell if this might be the case based on the photos. You might want to follow up with... more

Is Exercising Changing my Implants?

It is highly unlikely that the exercise has anything to do with the fact that you now seeing rippling. You are likely seeing rippling because the implants are settling and the swelling has resolved. You had very little breast tissue to begin with so there is minimal soft tissue coverage which puts you at a higher risk of implant visibility- thus rippling. Sorry!

Rippling

Rippling happens because there is not enough soft tissue coverage for your implants. This happens as a patient ages and when they lose weight.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Thin skin and strength training: not a good combination

Without seeing a photo, I'm not quite sure what you are calling rippling. Having silicone breast implants rather than saline ones and their placement behind rather in front of the muscle are both what you would want to have. Given that your skin in very thin, you may see some effect on the skin from that portion of the implant that is not covered by the muscle. Strength training involving the pectoral muscle will cause further stretching and thinning of the skin - not really ideal. I... more

Visible Rippling of Breast Implants

Rippling is a flaw in the device that is a breast implant. Under-filled saline implants have the most severe case of this and silicone less so. Since you are about 3 months from surgery and had "had 0 breast tissue basically" the swelling is starting to resolve and reveal some of the underlying imperfections in the implant. Having no breast tissue to cover the implant is likely going to always be a problem unless you gain weight. The alternative is the use of fat grafts... more